Method and article for wiping inky surfaces



y 0, 1930. F. T. PARSONS, JR 1,759,520

METHOD AND ARTICLE FOR WIPING INKY SURFACES Filed March 8, 1928 Frank T.Eats 0115, II.

Quorum;

Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE FRANK '1. PARSONS,JR., F WASHINGTON DISTBICT OF COLUMBIA METHOD AND ARTICLE FOR WIPINGINKY SURFACES v Application filed March 8,

This invention relates to an improved method and article to facilitatethe wiping of inkky surfaces, such as on die plates and the The primaryobject of this invention is the v and smooth paper to effectconsiderable saving in the cost of the wiping stock, and in theconsumption of ink, since with the improved method the ink need not beplaced so heavy on the die as when conventional wiping expedients andarticles are used.

, A further object of this inventioii isthe provision of an improvedwiping paper for removing ink from engraving plates and the like toproperly condition the same. I Other objects and advantages ofthisinvention will be apparent during the course of the following detaileddescription.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a I no part of this specification,and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views,

F i re 1 is a fragmentaryview of one wiping ace of the preferredandimproved wip- 85 in paper;

igure 2 is the opposite face of the paper illustrated in Figure 1, whichmay also be used as a wiping surface for removal of ink I from platesand the like. 7

Figure 3and 4 are views showing the surfaces illustrated in Figures 1and 2 respectively, with ink as absorbed 'on the roughened or ridgedparts thereof incident to the wipigure 5 is a fragmentary sectionalview, of an enlarged nature, showing the relation in which the papero-fFigu'res 1 and 3 cooperate upon a die plate. Figure 6 is a Viewillustrating. how an embossed wiping paper is used in the improved inoperations. 45 T 1928. Seria1- No. 260,120.

method for removal of ink from engraved cyl-- inders, suchas usedinengraving printing ofv postage stamps and the like. v Figure 7 is areduced fragmentary view of a strip of the improved wiping paper showingcertain important structural features thereof. K i In the wiping of flatdie plates, such as the die plate E illustrated in' Figure 5 of thedrawing, it is conventional to wipethe surface 10 in which t'heengravingcuts ,11 are faced, with smooth calendered paper, with a cloth, or theoperator wipes the surface 10 clean with the palm of his or .her hand.In engraving operationsusing a die cylin j der B, having a surface 12provided with"- engraving cuts 13, it is conventional to wipethe surface12- clean of ink prior to the engraving operation, by passing a clothbetween g the convex surface of the die cylinder B and 7 .a guide rollerC. This is customary at the United States Bureau of Engraving, at thepresent time, where the cylinders B are used 4 for theengraving ofstamps. In the United States'Bu'reau of Engraving the wiping cloths areused on both sides from six to ten times, the cloths being laundered. .1understand that the United States Government has a $500,000 laundrynecessary for the laundering of such cloths, and because the cloth 30.

material is of such nature as to sometimes.- pass into theengraving'recesses 13 of the die, the die rollers or cylinders areinkedfar heavier thannecessary.v p

Referring to the improved wiping paper A illustrated in Figures 1 to 5of the draw-- ing, the same is of absorbent stock, ranging in weightfrom 25 to 45-poundsper480 sheets of standard 24;" x 36 size. The paperA is furnished in long strips, on rolls, and the same is used forwiping-'onboth sides thereof. 'The paper used is preferably embossed orcreped stock, or otherwise manufactured with furrows, ridges,-corrugations, pro]ec tions, .protuberances,-bosses, nebs, on one or bothsides thereof, .stu'ck up or pro ecting from the normal major surface.Thus for the paper A illustrated in Figures 1 to 5,

"which is a creped paper, the ribs, or projec-.

tions 25-a're provided in spaced relation on 1 0 one surface or side orface thereof, the same being the face illustrated in Figures 1 and 3,and in en agement with the die plate surface in Figure 5; these ridges,corrugations,- or projections 25 being elevated in peaked form,preferably from the major surface 26 of the said face of the wipingpaper A.

inclination thereacross, in an acute angled relation with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the stock A, as illustrated by the ridgecorrugation, or projecting raised portions illustrated in Figure 7 onthe paper A, this diagonal slope of the ribs, ridges, or raisedportions-of the stock, A, is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 as beingslightly diagonal cross- 'ances, projections, ridges,

Wise of the stock or paper, in order to more readily wipe the ink fromthe die plate or cylinder as the paper relatively moves with res ect tothe cylinder or die plate.

n the opposite side of the stock A from the surface 26, is amajorsurface 30, having bossed, roughenedfnebbed, or raised projections 32,extending transversely across the stock A in series or rows which arediagonal to the longitudinal axis of the stock, in the diagonal relationillustrated in Figures 2 and 4; it being understood that the ribbed orbossed portions 32 are arranged in spaced rows to provide a ridged orcorrugated-like effect which is efficient in removing ink from theengraved side of the die plates.

In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown the opposed sides pf the stock A, and inFigures 3 and 4 respectively shown the opposed sides of the stock Aafter having been passed over inked surfaces, showing the ink in heavylines, caught or absorbed on the protubercorrugations, or bossedportions 25 and 32.

As illustrated inFi'gure 6, the stock D may be used, of an "embossednature, having the opposite sides thereof recessed or bossed, or

otherwise formed .to provide roughened surfaces which may catch the inkon the cut surface of the die plate or cylinder, as the case may be. Inthe particular embossed paper D, the same at one side has theprojections 35, and at the other side-has projections 36, with valleysor recesses between said projections. The projections 35 and 36 may beridges, ribs, corrugations, protuberances, nebs, or other projections. j

The passage of thewiping paper over the surface of the die may beeffected by a relative movement of either the die or paper, as in p,conventional wiping operations. How- .from engraving plates andthe likecomprisever, the paper must be sufliciently strong to stand the lateraltwist or reciprocatory mo-.

tion to which the saine is subjected during the plate wiping operation,and it is to be noted that the ribs, or projections on the paper do notenter the out recesses of the die plate, and while the paper wipes theplate surface entirely free of ink, the ink does not have to be spreadas heavy as is ,ordinarily required in using conventional wipers, suchas cloth. In the Bureau of Engraving, for the engraving of stamps, thesaving in ink alone it is estimated will amount to $50,000 per year.From the foreging description it is apparentthat a novel method andwiper for the cleansing of ink from die plate surfaces have beenprovided, which may more efliciently .and with greater economy wipe inkfrom plate or cylinder surfaces of engraving dies, than can beaccomplished with ordinary wiping expedients and methods now used.

Various changes in the steps of the method, and formation of theimproved wiping material may be made to the invention without departingfrom the spirit of the same or the scope of the claims.

I claim: 1

1. The method of cleansing'the ink surfaces of engraving plates and thelike which consists in passing over the ink surface a flexible materialhaving spaced projections on the surface thereof in such. manner thatthe projections only contact the ink surface.

2. The method of removing undesirable ink from inky surfaces ofengraving plates,

cylinders, and the like which consists in relatively passing over theink surface flexible material having a ridged surface of an absorbentnature, the ridges being spaced and the material operating on the inkysurface with ridges only in engagement with the inky surface duringrelative movement of the flexible material over the inky surface. V

3. The method of removing ink from inky surfaces of printing plates andthe like which I consists in the relative shifting contacting movementover the inky surface of absorbent paper material having spaced ribsthereon in surface contact at their peaks with the ink surface, therelative movement of the paper overthe ink surface taking place inadirection of movement acute to the lengths of the ribs on the paper. j

4. An ink wiper forengraving plates and the like comprising paper havinga surface thereof provided with spaced projections thereon suitable forcatchin ink as the paper is passedover an inked sur ace of an engravmgplate, sald pro ections being in the form of the length of the paper ina diagonal rela- 25 vof ridges, and the ridges running crosswise ing anelongated paper strip having a face thereof roughened with projectionsraised transverse to the normal body surface of the paper, saidprojections being in the form of ribs extending diagonally crosswise ofthe strip of paper.

6. The method of cleansing the inked surfaces of engraving plates andthe like which consists in passing over the inked surface a flexiblecrepe like absorbent ink Wiping paper having closely spaced raised proections thereon, in such manner that the raisedprojections only willcontact with the inked sur- 1 face.

